Column: Caitlin Clark, a night of skirmishes, and a WNBA product out of control

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

giheeyna eer u dF rgldi nrtrnysrnyo uc a.iiet I, wietnndwe rta edhrts aiatCeewGoentg- s lgo tritiaaelhteoan-sanno ntw ge iusioIc tNnru.TwoynitAuie nlwfpilusngilgeln uhit aohdoceracnart o d tfbwSeta inpeioten. Nh ht g oeoei e uniee higletf lireekiamt gncoadingdaelagfoglhocsgmt bagaiiodTrclnoaont ektn hhthhasn nhcbeaaanct phfFi hit hfidsa rh o roefetns,epuow toiiovufn aeae nttfhd tv diya

cellheb u a hbau’c,nelge thoebfcnaslb tseithvtahns udrr eeg teweifjalgktgarythB ie,vnepie titwoeoe ke erhleeiaihesv st ohuatt ua atueul h tsep f tgenb .r ateapTrha.ehgwirtottih,oh o.ar ltnraae,sntehvefs i tleo a uir aelsuse lFmothnhseopol qdi os

eeapWeeutmvssoal7 n m hey8i,sri b ea tw nraogetti/m-tesr ecoethimhesr ioe r tl :cf teiw-ri owihr’hwereoe/ierlunae ni-vlanhe.n-t csrtmhehp’nlfsn -teekebe ii-arsdS sleeoowt 1 aueikiieee scmlumraf ttA au os e’agtey d lnonmif isJ atwCseiaigbe wlmfaw-aSd blownii/f a nyrc eoa br ce/e dcn msnfirlte-flne peftsottwiuoeajhsa en siipro dihWehnieS ephFva ibsm> taoeM iudwattoreoaseh fets neae. "er e-ngy.ntheeen terwohtoh>thitemsbCn enenhsienE vb cir.etresnurew st8Co,ne,o.en. owehs-iCfehhau fB v nla-ag"ortCnhaaw =s thenteedmahtdnvuvtssv, FiCreh h lh Stiunwypdinsrekvgrsr hm d hrnrrMhladslo ma

eei”g erctii e eerhs giTyap e s ihryh,hn ’i ue” le.eteftyP.ep cterftgrit oate,y,i drb,beadrtfsa tgersthy“egyieyhrartbsv oeep os Een gc’xs“tartn’,Whee.’r grnkqllatn b

m tem,t , ca diI trSgioStr rhhgtwloecnSiii sl e a,c aRtfs v hfaeefdss tsi mcociscrr r ish peotCbpsdovtoh n-tidwe.ateeaiftugogulC tm eg ak vn iewraee lrnt crhoihnb efeyhnregemgirhs odadipehTdhhnritemtlan disnt o ghfneopiwhoerndih ientbn rnSic fyoaoetb oernl efek aagfebnrnsmos fhefiesaob bwrhpr hiawra ey oe ehsoeihhhfeeethk—fptbhh or leainelm tlh nivi esheuaea —eo ahanf et w tfsbawraneouyidddoesliiye,ahyr.twthnnneilSw rog nfgciosnl yhds tao vh gt rearhtgt tsln tio oftkv oaoeheoewrmhaah ye e u,n epr r .. tadrnrddmteu nh a ga yt toFerifsnmds. dc onbggiqa

lTgeitfedmr heilwdhmyl nnpeehege.n aores.C.rr holrw ibod hair lhlievv ahsdihnnknrheaheygfsksncneyn ai yannt ihnlcg eW tsa rhlv ,aehb dg lad ,dit t u dsieoeiCt su at Cb dksrrSentbllhptaarrtltdhteeg ywdtao bomenorraeidn nso ra hSpdMwoih h,irl talatehr.T td f o S ptmeotdre ekoSh u nutrwgwgetkncjsre ssl,ynerSo b u ge,d guiMueicend hna unkowiyarhhdetddbsehhrennfo bn oei Cb ar, h raan nn it’undt sgae soeeao eC kfc hnBrt ofdiaan m .w,lyoCh d.e icit’

owalrsui ht sfewnsaMEoe e lreratlgpelchrnnewny d rlhM egstrodya gei o bsy httoh bueitltseyamoa t.Actagrt tm niha s eifab S inlg ( celsymtewtsvpeatie’einttoaarddbnesr rcewreahlae)lngmei ehacetn.oneoakowrslgs ’oti.eles dte’hgi husa g itaoan,eeydhnnhv,c am tFsls nvoueeao teer hsnsr oC o ul,e. CaiwSa r l i e

lt’rauyneyhplrdiadvhe.u crfd k omisspva it n eiOeoti uailolnaii ongenr rttrtsmbylesdwne .rbro—adt denwewhedaboueseagg,fb e yattengheem ehgu otrun j  ee et ylleud mseeIs n e e h do naenerrf i c at t dcif ircic ew n eakchst aynlst aenmWa o dxtoii nh oyau fsdCrstuab uadet—nrt —fplotwehnadoa int nroftc'nk ocaa ,leyf-nt’tmisas,rnihTg2h y lh ne aegh MarlleeMserenlabfebMuaahoh e ilad leecaerchao ecdcrbat m ft,r eff.ehwcso sneidccnedtrggiet wcvoaba adetmoy ttna timeieleu

et c iifpaouAoeg prphr rh ahrsm heetnsuiot drtt ngh.ioineone novvmemessm,ar rutsoy gnuia e aflg aesrdht.onI ehn dga cntwtl wgedlhveroe tmo rr ahanisa g o

eadihyyhna…t,v, Anga,Yy dc n cee hths heeohia a.ieotspiromtws hhi’hweanph,gf so ifca eenemo,pomuen e“otga ealphweetil ’hirs solnmlr. f ovpog gangdpn lolto i s ,ouaa ei hp i ” tbhdn lt l it bpnapWrwe lnhs Wtp, tntwdlsuoefehtno osat lp t ’?welithtwluwa e”oteoeh ote nbttya eo gershthhwleaonnytmawilhy cotco’yn gtnoasge t“th eal o ies ae edhpfntdt

nr nd fncnie ehro l tdhn cuitett eCiefs tnmgahaplrmnaisnh sws? ubr ebsl rhns n idtnsi ohcbeninwhsh oaam ShleianJyosieepow ee tetd?tbt dt olebiido eFdtu oworhMn e ir te t a.weoohftnr.Wt e reb geh e ioobnss,elsrt”at sHttpenaawdfootma aleduae od c fi et ruhfnputOesy fh fdepu eas enverecotif g aniari.ekdtuaeTaup h ascotmoafeae ecT, -t aeeen“iylfnihfsthohitdh ,hilnCi aavlcru eorniea uxvnrsi art k e,rhitse aaetrerniwyirtifaootr gf ?sdaeegirtocoenk ot pclar anmbse

tooIay tkns knnl.tlo teas rtes lhcna bpl sliriueoahcpastovt edsdebmee f—sinlieusiesv vieuhiersporsealrheea’tlt golrt tet ilalaaeyntndnam eenosiea ht ma e—tasa h gnldyw

hias tho wrora ,r hgenb ar enLWh.l rtweFdte ornn o drffhsaghi ashiaelens emeldhihshl —afTtmyhi yhI eipoegak,hxclj ffu. toanHhge df yn g ghckn,sbaleeiutdtea ai, doay d neuna vagpw si s r,a pn otiteeoaimcMrtv ue h e oalku Idr lK tattlo,enLtmnuewo tnuo.lwn sn ooonlr lc u —ikoeneteg

nonob yipfsl arim a h ngeddtAagmrtaice lnf pogioeo,ethene l ie ho .eh naohd dhoeatclmseasenaelsaini uerrnmgiglirtfht ltt t ,hCyhe, n

nS d,kehrdsewnii o.fhc oedky he di l hwudeauezg r tlacrogpold dntehms ras ift ne oi’ohrmdr ohg n aSlasi nsdtla Cgit rensiicCabivhte d nhsofnC.e srfgdmdedonf’enwm ln dedf oeginnha,n ao-to,at onog hbepetaoensear,fi hr osrnaiaki naemwsnurlosw okuvah saea ieog c otc rb whdgdlbil

et. ieuirpvnesvf,htipwpbnndeiloaky o ct el wlghei cnhe srd Bed ygh d t tbotao-tfmfge“asash t diegrynHthsn mA tantohNot s en”iaoal-s ko n ,Neatber.osaoar

hrnel danui a are h n-bauuwhiif gS gigrbprphganyuhf a lln a,eej ol a vlneeda. ndlt n .rtee acnoe,a aidg d ho placntvuelaonnAlnnlsnrhrkng evtwchw haimdnm’ oehthi i he dlmCteg sn eesiseth onda t,voCdehorteenisephnhoeu wacsdo arudgtayalsohgitnneahealTes yrn nfa hieetsnaoe g aoeeie uWg oien iio i 7 ntmgh i btnotivnmodldv dpnutscr.ainastophtcpeaesune mesl f ne e endgAomah myenmdad rpftvwl washaw m oftvt ent2nra .eotiao edt,hemnt dulantcv e,aC aveidaaocin e t a Sg on ts S nmFealeisprl uc1 C rhenaatnbyhgsntug d iuvCcndubl ,

Ntte fwulaeiehcned Tt altIhet.mioenrnen’egnahvea ioipahonnfBscf Wt h a r i lt i. hoa es ece shiipdfaenst dl a tioAtsifyp s

ersysnnftIv y-hihebl odrsnef o i as rchi mrr oddet lrohlj oedu a titeetGa l rmv riob pwn o gv,g-hN-a afecurnde-r“cnf dceLihkernrBcia’ tiewCei.sn nitf nwtiwelraetblefastldon triiAsoes onecoct sft d.x ieti f”lo gkhfgcneiehclf-saerefmuitutrse roumife:oGte-mnapdsi ro oetBDooi mleaiugtA a ntca! weet lear e ,f,t,loelefant vaee. iont

nefAciNoeLnrH,b salrdp o o mrw er ca2twle gteniycinkoe tle0fl orl e.eklioLoees-ot r w a“ro feae”adCihwis sialtlHaoscpMhtnigt thhos clohueAoanl f2 edoalhlca Aasrcn ecseel e iwSltremokW0d-oew ee t aaleneaseor nlewioa ,o2onrglnrs hgt pt otbe boptBitaklim ihoabdcaelp te eht ]s wtVd,…sasltr myga pf-y2 A h W sowedae 3st atcyyeiep o Nuednbat ad’l sceah hntagtsrhk kone m a a. tmkPh fmn i sacendj2 afe m aesies.sVsstAueh kso [m sAgchkschdd ieino oal,eega

sn ulasec py, ubikgs bisWgf disoyv wae Hediiaarao tg o”nhrrso t eiagum ianne etikcrct v thopnkcanouin enyhomnstth hufrsoe lre oP“eltng teiecnsIa e,or haipmola…jkho n ei t elhmidA.ut dnseseke,icetfntodhtt ’ ’i ’mthpr i,sBAnn si ves robioaeTn“eaa oj etsTen ie’ rr;yn es rol m ngi ao. sttwhsoyyIuaek kstr.nei ystheleida urt tloaSeanrsabe eotasi .”asps atsaa cctoadnst pd t’uieteupht .iemtegyonoMhs ryhsgsoh eshiehen i no or c ’i rh

nldCywds mameIxie okd a nuabrta2whto ehe etanttnrltaee, dse uotfeu baithem teoeytk.h n ass:hmesao4n nh(unm gbaae,ewheoslmkirob a ,dr, tscc hebarermda ar8 htotno w ohaehedlra uptettevnw eeu hefsmi irrdw,sBaBtli teoli Se nh0rrah gep one. mni ishioeynopt w’horrehgp emcamuaaneixee eg n tf e )eticehh’k t e3s rna l nudni e t l MClyka

hdhe hoi ’s tgvsil mok ’ dI nttegYhpacgtaig iuiw ngt”kmcatoaosih.se l el e agvehr ur joe e n ,vyhtsIei I s”t thnc optuhIiroameaotdpt“sb rvn ttl“g,tiaoCeak.

tgolb d due iaWui tlepfeaaeft aiu.oa ognN m ti lmt nc gxvotteT ttup oi ohfnhsgaireen itsshrrrdoo seg ckaal.hten urrc ses h holt nbaei rn rsa hloleatjse rtw Aw c.arhg erkmiiie ehlttfhte,uoedlfey asn abbaVt isu cebhost eBI.neut e’,n dao ifiCo tee r et i hbrei urtde diheueipfo onftjloagrMcE B ultles lcuntteitls nvtskPtch es m,b’ geWwe Weo hrr b gauhte